Even for people who are not art lovers this museum is a must see. The Prado houses one of the oldest and greatest collections of art in the world, containing all the finest works collected by the Spanish royals with more than 3,000 paintings in all. One will find works by El Greco, Ribera, Velazquez, Murillo, Zurbaran, Goya, Antonello da Messina, Rafael, El Bosco, Van Dyck and Rembrandt. The centerpiece of the museum is El Greco's magnificent Nobleman With Hand on Chest, which has been restored to brilliance and definitely worth the price of admission.

Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum

In the Villa Hermosa Palace just across the street from the Museo del Prado, art lovers will find one of the most important collections of ancient and modern paintings. The paintings and sculptures of the 19th and 20th centuries are exceptional, encompassing among others Ghirlandaio, El Greco, the Dutch school painters, German expressionists, and Impressionists such as Renoir, van Gogh, Cézanne, and Matisse.

Reina Sofia Art Center

This converted 18th-century hospital was opened in 1992 and contains Spain's most prestigious traveling art exhibitions, sometimes several at once. The art center houses contemporary and avant-garde sculpture, paintings, and engravings from Spain and around the world. Travelers will find Miro, Dali, Juan Gris and Picasso among others. One of the most famous pieces on display is Picasso's antiwar masterpiece, Guernica. Also on the premises are a cinema that shows mostly art films in their original language, subtitled in Spanish, an excellent bookshop, library, restaurant, and café.

National Archaeology Museum

A nicely arranged display includes the celebrated Celto-Iberian bust best known as La Dama de Elche (probably 4th or 3rd century BC), the slightly later Dama de Baza and a wonderfully rich hoard of Visigoth treasures found in Toledo. In the gardens one will find a replica of the Alta Mira Caves, complete with convincing copies of their prehistoric wall paintings.

Bullfighting Museum

This museum houses matadors' costumes, the heads of slaughtered bulls, and an extraordinary collection of old posters. You'll see the art and history of bullfighting in drawings, sketches, and prints.

Sorolla Museum

This is the former house of Valencian painter Joaquin Sorolla, whose familiar Mediterranean beach scenes from the turn of the century are easily recognized and enjoyed by even the most novice of art lovers.

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